CT AND MRI EVALUATION OF TENOSYNOVITIS OF THE RHEUMATOID HINDFOOT

Thirty-nine patients with rheumatoid arthritis who had presented with tarsitis before, were investigated at the level of the rearfoot, The f irst 17 patients had CT with previous tenography when it was possible; the following 22 patients had MRI with gadolinium injection. Tendon i nvolvement appeared in 52,9% of the cases on CT, and in 90% of the fee t on MRI; therefore, in case of clinical or radiological signs of tars itis, it appears that tendon involvement must be suspected, With the t wo procedures the tibialis posterior tendon lesions were very predomin ant, In the majority of the patients (31/39), there was associated inv olvement of two or more tendons. If there is a ruptured tendon, the au thors think that one must be cautious with surgical tendinous transfer ; indeed, the long-term results of this surgical procedure present a s trong probability of being compromised in rheumatoid arthritis which i s a progressive disease.